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It’s telling that “Epic,” the new animated adventure from Blue Sky Studios, has such a generic title. The film is a shameless grab bag of blatantly borrowed storylines, showing elements of “The Borrowers,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Fern Gully,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “The Lord of the Rings.”
Its name also is ill-fitting, as this tale is hardly one of sweeping, enveloping grandeur. It tells of teenage Mary Katherine, or “M.K.” (voiced by Amanda Seyfried), who reunites with her estranged scientist father (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), before being magically shrunken to the size of the forest folk her dad has been hunting for years.
The only truly epic element of the film is the startling beauty of its animation, which marks a definite artistic peak for the folks behind Pixar also-rans like “Ice Age” and “Robots” (Chris Wedge, who directed both of those films, also is at the helm here). Inevitably, the immersive brilliance of the verdant setting calls to mind comparable spectacles like “Avatar,” but “Epic” carves out its own woodsy aesthetic with truly gorgeous touches, like plants that unfurl with colorful glory, and armies of birds and bats that swarm with jaw-dropping awe.
It’s a pity the script, penned by five people, can’t offer similar rewards. Beyond that general lack of originality, all the characters, including a forest-army general (voiced by Colin Farrell), a jungle queen (voiced by Beyoncé), a cadaverous villain (voiced by Christoph Waltz) and a rebellious mate for M.K. (voiced by Josh Hutcherson), spout nothing but exposition, feeding you the plot on a platter that’s condescending, no matter the target age group.
There are some valuable eco-themes to be found here, as the pint-sized battle that rages is essentially one between human neglect and environmental stewardship, but they lack the weight of, say, those found in last year’s “The Lorax.” And though it’s nice to see female characters like M.K. running the show for a change, it doesn’t change the feeling that “Epic,” while visually marvelous, is as simple-minded and derivative as they come.
Epic
PG
Two-and-a-half reels out of four
Now playing at area theaters
Recommended Rental
Identity Thief
R
Available Tuesday
“Identity Thief” may not be the year’s best comedy, but it’s likely to boast one of the year’s best comedic performances, as Melissa McCarthy, who plays the titular con artist, ably proves her breakout turn in “Bridesmaids” was no fluke.
Starring opposite Jason Bateman, whose identity her character nabs amid the crime spree that is her life, McCarthy is revelatory, pairing her LOL moments with unexpected depth. Her character steals identities; she steals the show.
Comment and see the trailers for this week’s movies at southphillyreview.com/arts-and-entertainment/movies.
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